Moral Dilemma

[shawmutt]

Here's the situation in a nutshell for those that don't already know. I have mbuna cichlids. I started with Yellow Labs, and they were awesome. I put in Kenyis and they are totally screwing with the harmony of the tank. Now that you're caught up, on to the current situation:

After making many attempts to regain harmony with my tank and fish, and talking with people from this forum and another, I realize that the only way to get my healthy cichlid tank back is to completely get rid of the Kenyi cichlids. Herein lies the dilemma--there is no lfs in the area that will take them (especially the one from a prior post that got the crap beat out of it), and there is no one I know that can inherit them. Yes, I did my research. Yes, I knew they were aggressive. Yes, I know my 30 gallon is too small for African mbuna. I thought that there wasn't much difference between semi-aggressive (yellow labs) and aggressive (kenyi) cichlids--and was wrong. I thought that if I provided enough hiding spaces they would be fine--wrong as well. Now I need to fix it, and I'm willing to take any ideas. Well, any ideas? (short of euthanasia--admittedly a thought I have considered) I need to do something soon; the problem is just getting larger as the fish grow.

 

[Menagerie]

Can you get another tank for the Kenyi?

 

[shawmutt]

My wife and I live in a small apartment--my 30 gallon and 10 gallon is really pushing the limits as far as space goes. The most aggressive kenyi has the 10 gallon all to himself, but now the next kenyi took his place in dominating the 30 gallon tank. When I say dominating I mean fish are starting to have tattered fins again. For obvious reasons I can't have all 3 kenyi in a 10 gallon tank. I don't mind having the one cichlid by himself, but I would need 3 10-gallon tanks for each of the kenyi. Believe me, if I had more space this wouldn't even be an issue, because I would get a 55 or 70 gallon tank and have a proper rift tank setup, but I have to work with what I have.

 

[QTOFFER]

3 aggressive kenyi cichlids
3 tsp : Red Chillies (fresh)
2 tbs : Cocunut dessicated
2 tsp : Ginger, chopped
6 : Garlic cloves
1 1/2 tbs : White Vinegar
3 tbs :flour
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Lemon wedges for garnishing

Wash the kenyi and pat dry. Sprinkle flour over kenyi and keep aside. Grind togeather,red chillies, cocunut, ginger, garlic, vinegar and just enough water to make fine paste. Add salt and evenly coat kenyi with this paste. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry till crisp. Serve immediately, accompanied by lemon wedges.



Seriously, though...
Is there a local aquarium club where you could give away or auction off the fish? A local school that has an empty tank and would like a classroom aquarium?

BTW: the above recipe is great with scrod fillet - not aquarium fish.

 

[lyquidphyre]

Do you have a tank divider? Or could you get one for the time being?

You could put your fish up at aquabid.com to maybe find a home for

 

[Menagerie]

I didn't think you had room for an additional tank, but you had not mentioned it.

I like QTOFFER's second idea. We once gave a mean cichlid to the university we attended at the time.

The recipe is great though! Too funny!

 

[Overstocker]

Maybe one of those double tank stands. Usually made of wrought iron, can hold one tank on top and one down below. Takes up no more space but have twice the number of aquariums....

 

[BrianNY]

QTOFFERS recipe sounds pretty good. Andy when are you coming over and cooking for the gang? .

Shawmut, you aren't in a place where most haven't been. Last resort..... give the unwanted fish back to the LFS.

 

[smilla4]

Think you could sell them on aquabid or ebay?

 

[deli_conker]

Get rid of them. Take them back to the lfs and say they are broken and you want to exchange them for something of equal or lesser value.

I have both in my tank. The kenyi is a female (lower agression). I also have a red zebra who keeps eveyone else in check. The zebra is the dominant fish in the tank. If I take him out, the number 2 (johanni) fish takes his place. That's just how these fish are. It's taken me almost a year to figure out a good balance and I have had to take 2 fish back to the lfs to achieve this balance.

It also took me a while to figure out how much terrain to put in the tank. Too little and the dominant fish beats everyone down. Too much and you end up with a few warlords running thier own camp (the fish at the bottom of the ladder suffer big time with too much terrain; they aren't welcome anywhere and the warlords never meet).

Aside from more space or seperate spaces, the only other alternative is that somebody has to go.

Just my opinion. Sorry.

 

[shawmutt]

BTW: the above recipe is great with scrod fillet - not aquarium fish.

It's funny, I used to catch yearling trout and fry a bunch and eat them almost whole (my uncle ate the heads, I couldn't do it). Now with my aquarium fish I have a "moral dilemma".

Thanks for the advice everybody. I'm going to check out this aquabid site. Maybe I'll just leave a couple bags in front of the lfs before they open, with a sign "take care of my babies"--they'll have to take them!

 

[shawmutt]

I went to aquabid and posted a bid, it doesn't look very good as far as the description goes :?. Well anyway, in case any Maryland people are interested (or people an hour or less away), I would be willing to drive there.

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwcichlidsm&1087457741

 

[smilla4]

Maybe I'll just leave a couple bags in front of the lfs before they open, with a sign "take care of my babies"--they'll have to take them!

LOL!

 

[poppab02]

How much does it cost to ship fish?
Maybe someone here would be willing to take them if it's cheap to ship them.

I would recommend getting a tank divider. It's relatively cheap and will allow you to separate the fish at least for now. I had 2 mbuna's I had to separate in a 10 gallon with a tank divider for a short period of time until my friends took them.

By the way, what's the scientific name for Kenyi cichlids?

 

[Zuppie2000]

I have a 150 gal tank with 2 kenyi (1 male 1 female) 2 electric yellow labs (1 male 1 female) 3 electic blue (2 female 1 male) 4 firecrackers (1 male 3 female) an assortment of live breeders sword tales guppies & mollys about 10 fish 3 generations a skunk loach 2 yo-yo loaches 2 clown loaches 2 angle fish 1 red dragon discus 4 simese cat fish 2 ghost cat fish 4 talking cat fish 2 plecos lots of hiding places lots of plants I think you just need a bigger tank

 

[revhtree]

From what I read there is no more room.

I would go with one of two ideas.

1. Fry them up and eat them.
2. Set them in front of the lfs door.

No really I'm sorry for your delimma. There has to be someone on this forum that wants free fish.

Start a new thread that just says FREE FISH!

 

[madasafish]

Wow. He ate the fish heads? I've been dissecting Loricariid fish heads all day, and I've done the same to Striped Bass heads (family name: moronidae... how funny is that?). There's really not that much meat there!! Unless you count the eyeballs...

Sorry to hear about the dilemma, S. The tank divider idea isn't a bad one, especially as a temporary solution to off-setting any aggression until you've managed to sell the Kenyis.

Oh, and FYI poppab02, shipping the fish (in separate bags) would probably cost $40-$50 with UPS, FedEx or DHL. USPS is much less reliable, though a little cheaper...